Can Rutgers Take The Sixth?

NOTEBOOK

There isn't much in the way of exciting Big East games this weekend, but we'll keep a lazy eye on Piscataway, N.J., Saturday afternoon.

Rutgers (5-2) can become bowl eligible for the first time in 13 years with a home victory over Navy (4-2).

But let's keep in mind that the Scarlet Knights can hit the skids as fast as any team out there. They started 4-2 last season before losing their last five, including a 54-21 rout by Navy.

Still, coach Greg Schiano has done a nice job with this team. The Knights held on to beat UConn -- a program Rutgers is often compared to -- at Rentschler Field, giving them three road wins. No Rutgers team has done that in 17 years.

And the numbers keep flying. A 6-2 start would be the Knights' best in 26 years.

Who knows? If West Virginia slips up, Rutgers might have a shot at a BCS bowl bid.

But for Schiano, there is no need to look past this weekend.

``I've been doing this for 20 years now and I've seen both ends of the stick. So it's been awhile since we've been back in contention for anything, or since I've been coach [that we've been in] contention for anything,'' Schiano said. ``I'm excited about it but I also know that if we don't go win Saturday then the talk is, `Are they ever going to win that illustrious sixth game?'

``I think you've just got to stay focused and that's what I'm trying to do and trying to get our staff and our program all to do the same thing.''

Schiano appears to have the right mindset going into the Navy game.

But the players are the ones who need it most.

Breaking Even Point

Syracuse (1-6, 0-4 Big East), which is going nowhere fast, hosts Cincinnati (3-4, 1-2), which can get to .500. The Orange beat the Bearcats 19-7 at the Carrier Dome last year.

``I think [reaching .500] would be critical for us,'' Bearcats coach Mark Dantonio said. ``As with everybody, if we can be 4-4 after eight games, it gives us a chance to win two of the next three and go to a bowl game. And that's still on our mind. We will always continue to look forward and try and put the best players on the field and gain experience at the same time.''

The Bearcats have West Virginia at home and go to South Florida and Rutgers to close out the season. ... Syracuse coach Greg Robinson was asked about his recruiting focus. ``We're going to recruit the Northeast,'' he said. ``This is our home and there are plenty of players in the Northeast now. And our intent isn't to go far and wide across America. ... Now if we have a conviction on somebody, yeah we'll do that. But our intent is to get the kids out of the Northeast.'' At 1-6, maybe Robinson and his staff need to go as far and as wide as they possibly can. Narrowing the scope could be costly. Former coach Dick MacPherson swore by the saying ``speed kills'' and insisted the Orange had to recruit Florida. If there's one thing Robinson's team needs, it is team speed.

Pitt's Possibilities

Don't look now, but after a woeful start Pittsburgh (4-4, 3-1) is right back in the mix for the conference title.

That said, the Panthers have some doozies left. They play at Louisville on Nov. 3 and not even 12 days between games might be enough to help the Panthers in that one.

UConn is at Pitt on Nov. 12, and the Panthers finish with West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl on Nov. 24. ... South Florida is off again this week. The Bulls, who last played Oct. 15, had their Oct. 22 home game with West Virginia moved to Dec. 3 because of Hurricane Wilma. USF (3-3, 1-1) doesn't play again until Nov. 5. And when that game comes, the Bulls will be leaving the warmth of South Florida to face Rutgers. ``It's almost like a whole other season is starting for us,'' USF coach Jim Leavitt said. ``Yet, you don't practice two-a-days, you don't practice every day because you run into a problem getting guys hurt. You don't want it to be counterproductive. You know you have to stay very positive, which we will do. And you're going to have to depend on great leadership on your team and [that] guys will be willing to go out there and just really practice hard to try and do as best they can with staying on top of the game.'' ... West Virginia and UConn are off -- until they meet each other Wednesday in Morgantown, W.Va.